From Evil to Enchanted
by suseagull04
Summary: The Evil Queen had given up on a second chance at love and happiness- until a thief and two young boys change her mind.
1. Chapter 1

**Huge thank you to hopefulfeathers for her help with this story! This story was inspired by sbstevenson2's moodboard, which can be found here: **** /sbstevenson2/status/1109792396517228544?s=21.**

Pink, purple and blue filled the sky in a dazzling display of color as the sun set over the Enchanted Forest. In various parts of the kingdom, dwarves were coming home from their mines, and princesses were sitting down to dine with their princes. As the full moon rose, other families closed their shutters and bolted their doors, knowing what this phase of the moon could mean for them and their loved ones.

The one known as the Evil Queen, however, was doing none of these things. Day and night, she prowled through the corridors of her castle, wondering how her life had gone so awry. She had once wanted much simpler things out of life: love, to be outside of her mother's sphere of influence. But all of that had been ripped away from her- and she knew that despite one meddling fairy's beliefs, she never would find a chance at happiness again.

Now her choices and the decisions made for her had led to this. She was nothing but a shell of her former self, ripping out hearts trying to cover the fact that she was lost in her despair. Few knew her story, or cared. All anyone in the kingdom cared about was that she was perceived as evil, when the one who had taught her everything she knew about magic ultimately was far more diabolical than she.

On that night, he was likely hatching some clever scheme to tear a child away from its mother, an activity the Queen knew he would encourage her to practice as well.

But Regina's goals had never been Rumplestiltskin's, and never would be.

Instead of threatening the lives of children, on that particular evening she was sitting in front of a quivering huntsman, who was the key to acquiring what she always wanted: Snow White's heart brought to her in one of her many enchanted boxes that were capable of holding such precious cargo. The huntsman, Graham, seemed tenderhearted enough that she didn't know how he managed to kill anything, let alone be the most skilled hunter in all the land.

She was unsure of him enough that she demanded answers. "How are you known for being the most adept hunter in all the realms, and yet it seems that given the choice, you wouldn't even kill a pathetic little fly?"

"Please, Your Majesty," he implored. "I was raised by wolves, I am thankful for every life that is ended at my hands-"

"Save your wallowing," she snapped, finding no patience in her to tolerate his ramblings. "I don't need a hunter who shrinks away at the mere sight of blood, I need a trained killer. Are you that man or not?"

"While I may be that man, I have no desire to be. All I want is to be free of you," he responded, a horrified look on his face, but a steely note in his tone, letting her know that given his choice, there would be no convincing him otherwise.

Although every particle in her body longed to outwardly show her frustration at this turn of events, she fought to keep her expression neutral. "Well then, I guess there's only one thing left for me to do."

She strode forward, and he tried to back away, but her black knights quickly grabbed his arms, holding them behind his back and pushing him to his knees.

The Evil Queen showed him a large part of how she had earned her moniker as she reached into his chest, her magic pushing bones, veins, and arteries aside as she tore his heart from its rightful place.

He gasped as the glowing red organ was extracted, and as she held his heart in her hand, a rush of power surged in her, and she remembered why she had chosen to get Rumple to teach her everything he knew. Despite how much she had once despised her mother for doing the very thing she had just done, she had to admit that the power that possessing a heart gave her was far more satisfying than being weak, powerless to change anything around her. This way of living ensured that not only her life, but the lives of countless others, were under her control.

The huntsman stared at her, his eyes wide with fear, and she held his heart to her lips, eager to use her power to bend his will to match her own, to do what needed to be done to achieve her goals. "You are not to leave my side until you choose to bring me Snow White's heart. Apart from the necessities of daily life, you may not leave my side unless I command it."

The magic that she was using to bind him to her set into place as soon as she had spoken. He was now her constant shadow, until he chose to obey her orders.

As he followed her that night, she sensed a third presence following them. She surveyed the area with her magic, but every time she did, she knew that whoever it was had retreated beyond her reach.

As she walked toward her chambers that night, the huntsman at her side as an extra guard for her quarters, she thought she heard a maddeningly annoying cackle that sounded all too familiar before she felt the pull of magic so strong it was impossible to resist its power. She saw a gaping black hole suddenly open in front of her, swirling in a vortex that seemed to be of its own making.

An unknown force hit her from behind, making her lose her balance and fall into the abyss, leaving everything she knew behind.

Meanwhile, a blue-eyed man hidden in the shadows watched as his friend and the Evil Queen disappeared from sight. He quickly ran to the portal and followed them wherever it led, determined to save his friend from the clutches of the one feared by all in the kingdom.

He let out a yell before the portal closed, carrying its occupants to a realm unlike any they had ever known before.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter contains the prompts abandoned house, curse, victim and child for Spooky OQ 2019. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

The Evil Queen landed on something that definitely wasn't the softest surface she had ever felt, and heard the huntsman fall behind her. She had something in her pocket- his heart. It still showed signs of magical use, but she knew she could no longer control it beyond what she had already done.

And the reason for that was that somehow, her magic was failing her. She had no idea why, though- until she looked at their surroundings.

They had landed in a forest, but she immediately knew that it was no forest in the Enchanted Forest or any of the other realms like it. She could hear unfamiliar sounds that were likely not far away, and the fact that she was unable to identify these sounds made her uneasy. Not scared- she was the Evil Queen, she was never afraid, and anyone who dared to suggest otherwise would never see the other side of one of her fireballs. But the unfamiliarity of her situation unnerved her, and she knew that until she determined where they were, she would never be her normal self in this land. And as luck would have it, the way to acclimate herself to her surroundings was right in front of her. He may be a victim of her wrath, but in that moment, she saw him as nothing more than her salvation. In effect, he was one of her black knights, ready to serve her, and as luck would have it, she had need of him.

"Huntsman, go gather information about this land that we've come to. Procure suitable clothes for us like the others that the peasants are wearing, then obtain food and find out where we are."

"I have a name, you know," her unwilling servant answered. "It's Graham. If we're going to be spending so much time together, you can at least use it."

"Fine," she snapped, loathing that in this moment, he was bossing her around. She was the Queen- the Evil Queen, as her subjects called her, _She_ gave the orders, no one else. "_Graham_, do as I say."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he muttered, likely knowing he had no choice, then bowed and went to do her bidding.

Regina walked over to a tree stump to wait. It wasn't comfortable by any means, but she would never be able to stand in her shoes for an unknown period of time without some relief. She must be in a land without magic for her best tool to not be cooperating with her. She could feel the loss of magic at her core: the world and abilities that had opened to her with Rumple's tutelage had suddenly vanished, snuffed out as if they were candles. And she could think of no other explanation other than that she had been cursed somehow, or fallen through a portal to a land without magic.

A curse… yes… that seemed the most likely option. Perhaps Rumple had cast the curse that he had intended for her to cast. Although the only one whom that imp had ever loved was that bookworm, and she had taken care of her long ago. But it had to be a curse of some kind, because many of the methods for creating portals between worlds were unattainable, most notably due to the giants' refusal to share them with the rest of the races in the Enchanted Forest.

The Queen didn't know. But what she _did _know was that if this was the infamous Dark Curse that Rumplestiltskin had told her about for so long, she was grateful that she hadn't been the one to cast it. She had been under the impression that the Dark Curse would give her a happy ending, and from what she could see, Rumple didn't get anything out of this curse except getting her out of the way for whatever nefarious plans he had in mind.

Although if he had come with her, that wouldn't make sense. And there had to be a reason that he had cast this curse when he did that she had yet to figure out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the return of that insufferably noble huntsman. A basket that she hoped contained food swung from one arm, and underneath the other, he carried what looked like a bundle of clothes. Why he had refused to obey her in the Enchanted Forest, she didn't know. Thanks to her magic, she could offer him anything his heart desired in exchange for his help capturing and killing Snow White. But he had refused her, choosing instead to hold to his ideals for some unknown reason.

"Your Majesty," he addressed her. "I have food, clothes, and a place for us to stay as you requested. If you will follow me, I will lead you to our accommodations for our stay here."

She followed him through the woods to an open field, where a barn stood, surrounded by green pastures as far as the eye could see..

She stopped in her tracks. "Here. You want us to stay… here. In an old barn that's probably rotting and smells like cow manure and other unsavory things that are unfit for a queen. Do I need to remind you who I am?"

Her words were conveyed in a harsh tone, masking her true feelings. The sight of the barn, so similar to her own family's stables in her youth, brought back such strong memories of Daniel that she knew would only worsen if she entered the structure. The hours they had spent there as children and teenagers had been the happiest of her life, and the reminder of them now was more than she could bear.

Just as the huntsman- Graham, she thought his name was- opened his mouth and started to apologize profusely for whatever he thought he had done wrong, she silenced him. "Never mind, it's getting dark, your incompetence will do for now. Lead the way."

He led her into the barn, and as he did, she braced herself. She was the Evil Queen, she could do this. Just how bad could staying in a barn be?

Robin landed in a forest. His surroundings made him grin. Of all the places making the mistake of following the queen and Graham could have put him, the chances of it being a home away from home were so slim that he hadn't even considered the potential for that occurrence when he had jumped into the portal after them. Without his usual supplies- tents, and other similarly simple, yet vital items necessary for survival- he knew he needed to look for suitable shelter for the night, so that's what he immediately began to do.

The land where the portal- curse- whatever brand of malevolent magic it was- had brought them thankfully was littered with rocks, and was densely populated with trees as large as the ones in the Enchanted Forest, though perhaps not as old. He was about to settle in for the night beneath an old pine tree when he heard soft snuffling that could only mean someone close by was hurt.

He followed the sounds of distress and found a small child with dark curly hair that looked remarkably similar to his Marian's, so dark and curly that he could barely see the boy's dark eyes beneath them under a tree not far from where he had decided to make camp. "Hello," he greeted the boy softly. "My name is Robin. How can I help you?"

The little boy, who couldn't have been more than four, looked up and said hesitantly, "R-Robin? That starts with R, just like my name!"

"It does?" Robin inquired, a warm smile still on his face as he sat down beside the boy. Life had completely turned upside down for him since the days when he had learned how to read and write, and from the looks of things, it had for this child as well. "What's your name?"

"M-my mommy and daddy said not to talk to strangers…" he stammered, tears filling his eyes again as he stared at Robin with a fear that Robin could tell was borne from more than just parental warnings. Clearly, he had seen far more than someone his age should.

Robin sat down beside him. "Hm… How about we find somewhere a little warmer to stay? Maybe helping you will show you that all I want to do is be your friend."

Eyes still wide, the little boy nodded.

Robin scooped him up in his arms and continued walking through the woods. Eventually, the ground sloped, and the path they were following led to the outskirts of a town. Not far from a well, they found a large, abandoned house unlike any Robin had ever seen before.

He set Roland down a safe distance from the house. "All right, I need you to wait here while I go make sure that everything's safe, all right?"

"No," the horrified child protested, clinging to him. "I want to stay with you."

Robin sighed. Clearly, now that he had found someone willing to be kind to him and help him, the boy wasn't willing to be separated from him for even a few minutes. This wouldn't bother him, except he didn't want the boy to be in danger, and they were in a land that was foreign to him. He didn't know anything about this land, which meant he had to be cautious- for his own sake, but now for the sake of the boy as well. He didn't know what circumstances had brought him to the woods, but one thing was clear: he needed someone, and Robin wanted to be there for him.

"All right, you can help me keep a lookout," Robin reluctantly agreed. "But first, you'll have to tell me your name. I never do a job without knowing the name of each man with me."

The child perked up. "Roland!" he said eagerly. "Can I really help you?"

"Of course," Robin assured him. "Every good thief needs someone watching his back."

He held out his hand and Roland took it. Together, they walked toward the house and began to circle it, looking for any signs of life within the house. It seemed that the house was deserted, abandoned in a way that Robin knew no dwelling in the Enchanted Forest would ever be for long. With the mass destruction that the Evil Queen continually left in her wake, citizens in the various parts of their realm were continually looking for new homes, meaning that no shelter was left unoccupied for long.

"Okay, it looks like it's safe for us to enter," Robin whispered to Roland.

"Okay," Roland whispered back, a soft giggle indicating to Robin that he was enjoying this.

They crept toward the house and walked inside. Upon further inspection of each room, they found that their initial conclusions had been accurate: the house had been abandoned long ago. While the house was furnished with objects of a style and make unfamiliar to Robin, Roland didn't seem to find them unusual- he had likely grown up with items just like this in his home. Speaking of which…

"Roland, where are your parents?" he tentatively inquired.

Tears filled the little boy's eyes and the thief immediately regretted his sensitive question. He should have known that there was a reason that Roland was in the middle of the woods and not with someone who looked after him.

He pulled him close, murmuring, "Shh, it's all right, everything will be all right,"

"B-But they're g-gone!" Roland sobbed, wiping his nose on Robin's sleeve.

Robin offered soothing words, but his little friend was inconsolable. As night began to fall, he carried him over to the strange furniture, where the little boy quickly fell asleep in Robin's arms.

Robin, however, couldn't sleep, the questions plaguing his thoughts too cumbersome to push aside in favor of sleep. Where were Graham and the Evil Queen? How would he be able to find them with Roland in tow? And, perhaps most importantly: how would he rescue Graham from the Evil Queen's clutches and how would they return home? As the soft light of dawn shone through the windows of the abandoned house that had become their temporary home, he only had one answer: only time would tell.


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is my Land Without Magic entry for OQ Realms Week! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

Regina woke to the sound of stifled sobs. Rubbing the back of her neck to soothe the aches that sleeping on a stable floor had caused, she looked around her for the source of the crying.

Getting up, she ventured further into the stables, finding nothing as she pushed aside barrels, troughs, food, and hay.

Finally, she pushed aside a few crates and found a young boy, who quickly dried his tears as he looked up at her. "Wh-what do you want?" he asked nervously. "D-don't send me back, I don't wanna go back and I c-can't."

"Don't worry," Regina soothed him, tentatively reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "My name is Regina. I'm not going to hurt you, or send you anywhere you don't want to go. What's your name, and what's wrong?"

"H-Henry a-and I l-lost him!" the boy exclaimed, bowing his head in shame. "I promised him I would look after him- worse, I promised his mom I would look after him- and now I don't know where he is and he must hate me!"

"Trouble, Your Majesty?" Graham asked as he came up behind her.

The lad seemed to shrink away at the arrival of the newcomer, and Regina turned raging eyes on the huntsman. Why was it that he begrudgingly did her bidding when she asked for his assistance, and the remainder of the time inserted himself where he was neither wanted nor needed? "Leave us. Go do something useful and obtain something for us all to eat for breakfast."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he grumbled, but Regina's attention was too focused on the boy to pay him any attention. His eyes were wide as his astute eyes took in her attire. "Are-are you a queen?" he asked uncertainly.

The smile she gave him was more akin to a thin line. She had hated every minute of being Leopold's queen, being forced to perform her wifely duties while being ignored, an unwilling slave to every one of Leopold's whims. But worst of all was being the caretaker of the girl who had torn her chance at a happy ending away from her. And by the time she had regained control of her life, she was unrecognizable to anyone who had known her before Daniel's death. Now, she was in an unfamiliar realm with a captive huntsman in tow due to the fact that he refused to bring her Snow White's heart and thus ensure that her revenge was complete. But how to tell this boy that without making him turn from her, as all of her subjects had? He wasn't quite a child, but still was only about eleven years old, so she didn't know how to explain any of this to him in a way that he would understand. She didn't understand why, but she wanted to protect this boy from all the evil she had done. She wished she had gotten to spare herself from all she had done and all that was done to her. There was no need for this boy to know her darkness.

"I was, once," she finally admitted, her tone dejected due to all that she had lost. She would be honest with him, but there was no need to tell him details of her nefarious past.

"That's so cool!" the boy exclaimed. "Can you do magic?"

"What makes you think I might be able to do magic?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In all the stories, every queen has magic," he answered matter-of-factly, as if she should have known that, bring a queen herself.

"Oh really?" she smirked. "What else can the queens in these stories of yours do?"

His face lit up with a joy she knew she hadn't felt in years. She envied him for his childlike innocence, the belief he seemed to have in magic and happy endings. She dreaded even thinking about what he would say if he knew that she was the villain in her own story.

At the same time though, who was this boy to her that she wanted to earn his respect, maybe even his love? She was Regina Mills, Queen of the Enchanted Forest whether one saw her as evil or not. She wasn't so weak that she needed anyone's approval, least of all this insignificant boy who had inserted himself into her life not even fifteen minutes ago.

Or did she? Looking into his eyes, she knew that she didn't want to disappoint him. Despite the fact that he was rapidly approaching adulthood, she sensed that he was still just a child at heart, and she didn't want to be the one to destroy his innocence. She may be evil, but even she would never stoop so low.

Caught up in her thoughts, she finally realized that he was answering her question, his blind faith unwavering as he told her, "All sorts of things! Slay dragons, kill witches, rescue kings… Queens can do anything!" This last declaration was accompanied by an awed expression that was directed at her. _Her_, of all people. The woman who single-handedly put terror in the hearts of all who knew of her nefarious deeds. If he knew that she was responsible for countless hearts being stolen from their owners, that the man with her was being forced to do her bidding, he would run from her, just as he should.

But the thought of yet another sweet, innocent child running from her made her blood run cold, so instead of answering with a brutal self-deprecating remark, she told him, "Some things aren't always what they appear to be. Not all royalty are heroes."

He seemed to consider her words, "They're not all villains, either. And no villain is entirely bad."

Incredulous, she shook her head. There would be no convincing this boy of her almost black heart unless he saw some proof. And for reasons she couldn't explain, she didn't want to ruin his image of her. As much as she disliked leading him on, she didn't want him to have hope that would only be crushed into miniscule fragments when he found out who she really was. For some inexplicable reason, she cared about this boy far too much and far too quickly for her own good, or his for that matter. It was simply nice to have someone who believed in her.

She dreaded to think what he would say when he found out who she really was, so she decided to test him. "What about a queen so evil she asked a huntsman to bring her her stepdaughter's heart, and made sure she had a sleeping curse prepared just in case the huntsman failed?" For that was her plan should she be unable to convince Graham to obey her command.

He perked up, his eyes shining with recognition. "Like the Evil Queen and Snow White?"

"Y-yes," she stammered. "Exactly like Snow White and the Evil Queen." How could he possibly know that? They were from entirely different realms, their stories likely so different that he would recoil in horror if he knew the true events that had transpired between herself and the woman who was once her stepdaughter.

He laughed. "Everyone knows the story of Snow White!" His eyes widened in realization as he glanced over her, likely taking in her regal attire and remembering how the huntsman had addressed her earlier. "Are you the Evil Queen from the story?"

She watched him questioningly. "What makes you think that?" While she wouldn't deny her moniker, she fervently hoped that she hadn't let any of her darkness show around this boy. He was too innocent and sweet for her to ever think of harming him, let alone follow through with harmful actions that she would regret within seconds.

He shrugged. "You're dressed up like a queen. And I always thought there was more to her story than the movie ever showed us."

She didn't understand half of what he had just said, but knew it would be unwise to let her confusion show, so all she said in reply was, "Really? Like what?" Surely, if even a piece of her story was known in this land, its inhabitants would see her as her subjects had: evil, without a heart or soul to guide her.

He shrugged. "I don't know. She lost her happy ending because of Snow White or was forced to marry the king… something like that. But like I said before, no one is completely bad."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "You really like having hope, don't you?" Good grief, he was just like that insufferable Snow, full of hope speeches that he was determined that everyone should hear. But for some inexplicable reason, she didn't mind him half as much as she did her stepdaughter. Maybe it was that he believed in her, something that no one but her father had done in quite some time. Or maybe it was just the smile he was giving her, full of childlike innocence and that insufferable emotion that Snow possessed in spades.

"Of course!" he answered. "If I didn't…" his face fell, his eyes somber for the first time since his tears had subsided. "I'd never find Roland again," he whispered.

"Who's Roland?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She should know better. She shouldn't be getting attached to this boy and his problems when she would be finding her way back to her kingdom and her castle as soon as possible.

But before she could hear more, Graham appeared again, with what appeared to be breakfast in his hands. As she inspected the food he handed her, she reached for her magic, but knew instinctively that her magic was unavailable to her. Wherever Rumple had sent her was a land where her magic wouldn't work no matter how hard she tried. All the same, she wished desperately that she had it- it was like a sixth sense, an essential part of who she was. Without it, she felt defenseless. Her magic had served her well over the years, and without it, she wasn't quite sure what she would do.

Magic no longer a viable option, she lifted the bread the huntsman had handed both her and Henry and sniffed it. She didn't detect any known poisons, but knew that she didn't possess any knowledge about anything in this world, from the most trivial concepts to the most vital. So it was perfectly plausible that Graham had asked their hosts to give him something that would harm her- but would he really do that when he was in another realm, far from home with no way to return? Observing Henry would be no help to her, as she was sure that the huntsman would never harm Henry, or any child for that matter. So she supposed that she would just have to trust that the huntsman would not attempt to kill her- not yet, anyway.

As if he read her thoughts, Graham piped up. "You know, I haven't poisoned your bread."

Henry nodded his head in agreement. "Eat it, Your Majesty! It's safe, I promise!"

"Regina please," she corrected gently, hating how her title sounded on those young lips. Suddenly mortified with herself for not protecting Henry from any potential danger that the bread could contain, she observed him carefully. Seeing no signs that he had been harmed, she bit into the bread. It was far more delicious than any bread from the Enchanted Forest, flavored with what tasted like some kind of cheese as well as seasonings that she was unable to name. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips, then cast a concerned glance Henry's way. Such a sound was far too improper for such sensitive young ears.

He didn't seem to be unnerved by her moan, though. He smiled and nodded eagerly. "It's good, right?"

She hesitantly nodded and acknowledged, "It is."

"It would be nice to hear some gratitude," the huntsman grumbled. "I did do all of this for you, after all- not that I had much of a choice."

Henry's head whipped around, his eyes wide as he stared at her in awe. "You _are _the Evil Queen! Or Maleficent, or Mother Gothel, or-"

She nodded slowly, fighting back tears. "In our realm, I am known to most as the Evil Queen."

She looked at him nervously. It was ludicrous, but after such a short time, she already cared about him. What would be his reaction to the information she had just divulged? She didn't think she wanted to find out. 

Robin woke the next morning to a small form nestled in his arms. Looking down, he found Roland, the little boy he had met the night before, lying in his arms.

He spent a moment contemplating what had transpired the day before. Was it really possible that in twenty-four short hours, he had been a witness as the Evil Queen had ripped out his friend's heart and been forced to go with her to another realm? And in the process, he had followed them like the loyal friend he was, and he took a moment to berate himself for that decision. His actions had been rash. What could he possibly do for Graham in a land where he knew nothing and no one?

He reconsidered, looking down at the boy in his arms. He did know one person in this realm. A little boy who had clearly strayed far from home and needed help finding someone to care for him again. And in the meantime, Robin would do his best to ensure that Roland felt loved and understood, just as every child his age should.

He softly brushed Roland's curls out of his eyes as he looked down at him. He couldn't help making comparisons between this boy and his Marian. When he lost her, he had lost all hope of finding love again, particularly because she had been pregnant with his child when both had been cruelly ripped away from him, and it had been entirely his fault. But he had a chance to ensure that that didn't happen to this boy, that he found somewhere he belonged, where he was loved and cherished. All he needed to do was find out some of this boy's past, so that he could find any remaining relatives he had nearby.

The gesture seemed to soothe Roland, for the boy smiled sweetly in his sleep, revealing dimples that had been hidden in the darkness of the previous night. With them, Robin couldn't resist thinking that the child looked more like he could be his and Marian's lost child then ever.

But at the same time, that was impossible. How would Roland have gotten to this world on his own? And he had said that his parents were dead- if that was the case, what had happened to them?

Robin shuddered at the thought, and forced himself to take a step back. There was no concrete evidence that Roland was Marian's son other than the similarity of his appearance to his possible parents. But there were likely millions of people with dark skin, hair and eyes in this realm, and some of those had to have dimples as well, so the chances of Roland being his son were slim to none. Regardless, he would find out more of Roland's story as soon as he could. And in the meantime, he would be a father figure for him. It was clear that Roland needed someone to be there for him, and Robin wanted nothing more than to jump at the chance to fill the role of a father that he had been deprived of so long ago.

Roland began to stir, and Robin quickly sat back and reached for the rucksack that he had been carrying with him ever since he had set out on his rescue mission several days before. He still had several apples, some of which had been stolen from the queen's precious apple tree that resided in the castle's inner courtyard, as well as a loaf of bread and a container still half filled with water.

He passed one of the apples to Roland first. He was unaware of just how long he had been without food, and didn't want him to get sick because of food that was too rich for a delicate stomach. A polite boy, Roland thanked him before ravenously devouring the apple Robin had given him.

After waiting an hour, Robin gave him a small piece of bread, which was consumed almost as rapidly as the apple. It seemed that Roland was raised well by the people who had served as his parents before their disappearance from his life.

With that topic in mind, Robin gently asked his young companion, "Roland, is there any way I can help you? Any family I can help you find, perhaps?"

As he had feared, Roland's lip began to tremble, but he helped assuage any tears by immediately putting his arm around the boy's small frame and holding him close. "Shh, it's all right, we'll find them, I promise. And I'll always be here for you." Gradually, Roland's panic subsided enough to tell him, "Henry. Mama said that after she was gone, I would always need Henry."

"All right," Robin responded slowly. "What does Henry look like?"

He's big, he's eleven!" Roland informed him, his panic giving way to a clear admiration and adoration of the older boy. "He loves stories, especially all the fairy tales, and he takes care of me and always has fun games we can play!"

Robin's heart broke at his young friend's words. Although Roland's idolization of him was obvious, it was devastating that an eleven year old was taking care of this child. At that age, he was still practically a child himself. For him to be taking care of Roland, the boy must be mature beyond his years, and desperate circumstances must have befallen the boys to separate them.

He was torn between devastation and righteous anger when it came to the boy's parents. No child should be left in the care of another child. For his parents to have entrusted an eleven year old with such a task indicated that not only was the boy mature beyond his years, but that he had also suffered through things that no boy his age should have to. He was determined to find Henry and take care of both him and Roland, as difficult as that would likely prove to be as he simultaneously attempted to rescue Graham.

His hands soothingly s through Roland's curls as he whispered, "Don't worry, Roland, we'll find him." As a man with a code, Robin swore to himself that he would keep his promise to Roland, no matter what the cost.

Now all he needed was a plan that would somehow allow him to accomplish both of his tasks simultaneously.


End file.
